3 Toronto Blue Jays Once they've endured their growing pains, the New Jays should improve with age

When the Blue Jays cut Roy Halladay from their major league camplast spring, the move was so drastic that they summoned acounselor from their employee assistance program to help breakthe news to him. Halladay, who had been hailed as anace-in-the-making, was not simply demoted. He was dumped all theway to Class A. "That wasn't even the worst part," he says. "Theworst was walking back into the locker room to face my teammatesand talking about what was going on. I wished I was invisible."

A year later the 24-year-old righthander is a completelyoverhauled pitcher with the sheen back on his future, and theBlue Jays have adopted the same rehabilitation program forthemselves: Take a giant step back to take a leap forward. Undernew general manager J.P. Ricciardi, the former Oaklandplayer-evaluation guru, Toronto has launched a modified youthmovement. "We need to change the perception of the Blue Jays,"Ricciardi says. "The perception that's out there is that theyare an underachieving team that doesn't play hard all the time,that doesn't know how to grind it out."

You want grinders? How about the humbled Halladay, who had a10.64 ERA with Toronto in 2000. Organizational pitching coachMel Queen changed Halladay's delivery so that he threw with athree-quarters arm angle rather than straight overhand.Halladay's once dead-straight heaters began sinking and cutting.Halladay also ditched his negative mind-set. The reengineeringworked. He went 5-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 16 late-season starts forthe Blue Jays.

The efficiency of Toronto's overall rebuilding depends mostly onhow quickly its young position players develop. Catchers KevinCash, Josh Phelps and Jayson Werth, second baseman OrlandoHudson and outfielder Gabe Gross figure to make the clubstronger in 2003, if not this year. The first wave of the NewJays is led by a green left side of the infield: shortstopFelipe Lopez and third baseman Eric Hinske. "We did it inOakland with [Miguel] Tejada and [Eric] Chavez, and Tejada made26 errors [in 104 games]," Ricciardi says. "There were days youwanted to jump off the third balcony. But you have to live anddie with young guys."

Lopez, 21, signed as the eighth pick of the 1998 draft just daysbefore his father, Felipe Sr., pleaded no contest to two chargesof child abuse and one count of aggravated assault. In a policereport at the time Lopez told authorities his father beat himfor mistakes on the baseball field. Felipe Sr. was sentenced to20 years in prison. While manager Buck Martinez says Lopez "hasbig power," Lopez says his only goals are "to hit .300 and stealbases. I want to hit for average before I worry about power."

The 225-pound Hinske, 24, is another budding slugger. Unlike thefree-swinging Lopez, however, Hinske has a discerning battingeye. While in Oakland, Ricciardi took him in a trade with theCubs sight unseen--he simply liked his power and on-basepercentage numbers. Hinske was the first player Ricciardiacquired in Toronto.

Only the Royals drew fewer walks last year than the Jays. Fixingthat and resisting the temptation to rush young players rankhigh on Ricciardi's to-do list. "In the past here," Ricciardisays, "if somebody had a good week in Double A they jumped tothe big leagues, only to go back again because they weren'tready. There was no continuity."

Under Ricciardi no Blue Jay should have to go back to PB&J. --T.V.

COLOR PHOTO: STEVE MOORE As Oakland did with Tejada, Toronto will give the 21-year-old Lopez ample time to prove himself, hoping to achieve similar results.COLOR PHOTO: RICK STEWART/GETTY IMAGES HINSKE

IN FACTWith 34 homers and 32 steals, Jose Cruz Jr. became just theeighth AL 30-30 man and the first since 1998.

ENEMY LINESan opposing team's scout sizes up the Blue Jays

"Toronto is taking a hell of a chance by playing Felipe Lopezevery day at shortstop. He has good hands, a strong arm and agood first step, but I don't know if he's ready to play everyday for a contender.... Eric Hinske looks like he has goodupside, but he's another guy who's unproven. I really like hisbat. He looks like he can hit the ball out to all fields and hasa good idea of the strike zone.... Homer Bush is a problem atsecond base because he breaks down every year.... They do haveCarlos Delgado at first, but they're not going anywhere withthat infield.... I like their outfield a lot. I like ShannonStewart, who's a good hitter, and I like Raul Mondesi, but nothis contract [$24 million over the next two years]. He shouldsteal 30 bases, hit 40 home runs and bat .270, but he's not verydisciplined at the plate. Vernon Wells has a chance to be a hellof a player; he'd be my centerfielder right now--and I like JoseCruz Jr. One of those guys will be traded, probably eitherMondesi or Stewart.... Toronto has a problem behind the platebecause Darrin Fletcher is not able to catch every day and hestill doesn't throw well.... Their pitching is going to be atrouble spot. But I like Chris Carpenter. He has the bite backon his curveball.... Kelvim Escobar seems to have the stuff tobe a closer, but you don't know about his stomach for thejob.... They have three lefties in the bullpen--Pedro Borbon,Dan Plesac and Felix Heredia--and probably will trade one ofthem."